Tionne Watkins, Lisa Lopes, and Crystal Jones formed a trio in 1990 with a concept that defied the polished image of existing girl groups. They called themselves 2nd Nature, a name that reflected their tomboyish, hip-hop image, blending contemporary R&B with the new jack swing sound popularized by Bell Biv DeVoe. The group's formation began when record producer Ian Burke and his client Crystal Jones put out a call for two more girls to join them. Tionne Watkins, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, had moved to Atlanta with her family at a young age, while Lisa Lopes, a rapper from Philadelphia, arrived with a small keyboard and $750. The trio began working with producers Jermaine Dupri and Rico Wade on demo tape material, setting the stage for a unique musical identity.
Through a connection at the hair salon where Watkins worked, the group managed to arrange an audition with singer Perri Pebbles Reid, who had started her own management and production company, Pebbitone. Impressed by the girls, Reid renamed the group TLC, an initialism for the names Tionne, Lisa, and Crystal. Reid arranged an audition for them with local record label LaFace Records, run by Kenneth Babyface Edmonds and Reid's then-husband, Antonio L.A. Reid. Antonio Reid saw potential in Watkins and Lopes as performers, but felt that Jones should be replaced. According to Jones, things began to unravel for her after Pebbles denied the group the opportunity to take home the contracts that Pebbitone had drafted. Jones did not want to sign before having the contract reviewed by others and perhaps a lawyer. In contrast, Watkins's recollection of Jones's departure is that both she and Lopes asked Jones to leave the group before their initial contracts were negotiated.
On the 28th of February 1991, Watkins and Lopes signed production, management, and publishing deals with Pebbitone, with Perri Reid becoming their general manager. As they looked for a replacement for Jones, the two-member TLC made its first recorded appearance on a track for LaFace act Damian Dame's self-titled 1991 LP. Pebbles found the third member in Rozonda Thomas, one of Damian Dame's part-time backup dancers. Thomas was signed to the act in April 1991, and to maintain TLC's name as an acronym for the girls' names, Watkins became T-Boz, Lopes became Left-Eye, and Thomas became Chilli. The girls were then signed to LaFace in May through the production deal with Pebbitone; their records would be distributed by Arista Records/BMG. TLC was immediately set up to go into the studio with Reid and Edmonds, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, and Marley Marl producing their first album. The new trio debuted as backing vocalists on Rebel With a Cause, a track on Jermaine Jackson's sole album for LaFace, You Said, in 1991.
New Jill Swing Era
Their debut album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip, was released on the 25th of February 1992, by LaFace/Arista Records. The songs on the album are a blend of funk, hip-hop, and R&B, similar to the new jack-swing sound popularized by producer Teddy Riley in the late 1980s. The album was a critical and commercial success, being certified quadruple-platinum for shipments of four million copies in the United States. It scored three top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg, Baby-Baby-Baby, which peaked at number two, and What About Your Friends, as well as the top 30 single Hat 2 da Back. Observers coined the term new jill swing to describe the album and the group. Later, TLC's sound evolved from the genre, but not before opening the door for similar groups such as SWV, Destiny's Child, 702, Jade, and the Lopes-produced Blaque.
TLC's debut album, chiefly written by Dallas Austin and Lisa Lopes, consisted of playful lyrics, with some female-empowering songs. It was characterized by Watkins's contralto vocals, Thomas's mezzo-soprano vocals, and Lopes's soprano raps. The musical formula was augmented by the girls' brightly colored videos and peculiar costuming: each girl wore wrapped condoms on their clothing, and Lopes also wore one over her left eye in a pair of glasses. During that period, TLC recorded a song called Sleigh Ride, which first appeared on the soundtrack of the film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in 1992. A year later, the song was released as a promotional single and music video for the 1993 holiday season, appearing on the compilation album A LaFace Family Christmas. Also in 1993, TLC released a cover version of The Time's 1981 hit Get It Up as a single from the Poetic Justice film soundtrack.
During TLC's first national tour, as MC Hammer's opening act, Lopes and Thomas discovered that Watkins had sickle-cell anemia, a blood disorder which she kept as a closely guarded secret until becoming extremely ill while touring with TLC in the southwest US, ending up hospitalized, with Lopes and Thomas staying with her, resulting in the cancellation of some concerts. Watkins continued to battle her condition and eventually became a spokesperson for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America in the late 1990s. At the conclusion of the tour, TLC, who had received little monetary compensation up to this point, decided that they no longer wished to employ Pebbles Reid as their manager, in an effort to hold more control over their careers. Reid released the group from its management deal, but they remained signed to Pebbitone, and Reid continued to receive a share of their earnings.
Lopes began dating American football player Andre Rison shortly after the release of Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip, and by 1994 the two lived together in Rison's upscale home. Their relationship was allegedly violent at times, and Lopes filed an assault charge against Rison on the 2nd of September 1993, which Rison denied. Lopes was battling alcoholism at the time, having been a heavy drinker since the age of 15. After another fight between the couple in the early morning hours of the 9th of June 1994, Lopes tossed numerous pairs of Rison's newly purchased shoes into a bathtub, doused them with lighter fluid, and lit them on fire. The fiberglass bathtub quickly melted and set the structural frame of the house on fire. Lopes was arrested and indicted on charges of first-degree arson; she was sentenced to five years of probation and a $10,000 fine. Rison eventually reconciled with Lopes and they continued dating on and off for seven years.
TLC's second studio album, CrazySexyCool, saw the group reunited with producers Dallas Austin, Babyface, and Jermaine Dupri, as well as new collaborators Organized Noize, Chucky Thompson, and Sean Puffy Combs. Lopes was released from rehab to attend the recording sessions, but the finished album featured significantly less of her raps and vocals. An R&B and hip hop soul album, CrazySexyCool featured hip-hop beats, funk, deep grooves, propulsive rhythms, and smooth production. Released on the 15th of November 1994, CrazySexyCool was critically acclaimed, with Rolling Stone ranking it among the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. CrazySexyCool debuted at number 15. Eventually, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and spent over two years on the chart. The album sold over 7.7 million copies in the United States alone and received a diamond certification from the RIAA. Worldwide the album sold over 14 million copies.
All four singles from CrazySexyCool reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100: Creep and Waterfalls reached number one, Red Light Special peaked at number two, and Diggin' on You reached number five. Waterfalls, an Organized Noize-produced song that features an old-school soul-based musical arrangement, socially conscious lyrics criticizing drug dealing and unsafe sex, and an introspective rap from Lopes, became the biggest hit of TLC's career. Its million-dollar music video was an MTV staple for many months and made TLC the first black act to win MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year. At the 38th Annual Grammy Awards, TLC took home Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group for Creep. Billboard also crowned TLC as the Artist of the Year at the 1996 Billboard Music Awards.
Amidst their apparent success, the members of TLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on the 3rd of July 1995. TLC said that they had debts totaling $3.5 million, some of it due to Lopes's insurance payments arising from the arson incident and Watkins's medical bills, but the primary reason being that the group received what they called a less than favorable deal from Pebbitone. After Arista Records, LaFace, and Pebbitone recouped their investment for recording costs and manufacturing and distribution, both Pebbitone and LaFace Records went on to charge for expenses such as airline travel, hotels, promotion, music videos, food, clothing, and other expenses. According to the members of TLC, ironically, the more successful the album became, the more they were in debt. In addition to this, managers, lawyers, producers, and taxes had to be paid, leaving each member of the group with less than $50,000 a year after having sold millions upon millions of albums. TLC sought to renegotiate their 1991 contract with LaFace, under which they received only 56 cents per album sold, considerably less than most major label recording contracts, and received even less than this for each single sold; TLC also wanted to dissolve their association with Pebbitone. LaFace Records refused to renegotiate their deal midway through the contract, thus prompting TLC to file a bankruptcy petition. Both Pebbitone and LaFace countered that TLC simply wanted more money and were in no real financial danger, resulting in two years of legal debates before the cases were finally settled in late 1996. TLC's contract was renegotiated with LaFace, and Pebbitone agreed to let them out of their production/management deal in exchange for Pebbitone receiving a percentage of royalties on some future releases. By this time, Pebbles had separated from her husband. TLC also bought the rights to their name, which was previously owned by Pebbles.
FanMail and Feuds
Preliminary work on TLC's third studio album was delayed when friction arose between the group and their main producer Dallas Austin, who was romantically involved with Thomas and fathered a child with her in 1997. Austin wanted $4.2 million and creative control to work on the project, resulting in a stand-off between the producer and the artists. During this period, Thomas appeared in the Miramax independent film Hav Plenty, while Watkins co-starred with rappers Nas and DMX in Hype Williams's 1998 film Belly. Lopes started her own production company, Left-Eye Productions, and signed Blaque, an R&B trio. Under her guidance, Blaque released their 1999 self-titled debut album, which was certified platinum and contained two top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Lopes also hosted the short-lived MTV talent series The Cut, which featured then-unknown recording artists Ne-Yo, Aloe Blacc and Anastacia.
TLC eventually began working with other producers for their third album, until finally negotiating with Austin, who produced the bulk of the album. Lopes always had an idea of a futuristic feel for the project, which Austin incorporated into the album. Titled FanMail, the album was released in February 1999, another critical and commercial success. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified six-time platinum by the RIAA for six million copies shipped in the United States. Worldwide the album exceeded over 10 million copies sold. No Scrubs was released as the lead single and became a worldwide hit, topping the singles charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States. The album's second single, Unpretty, incorporated folk and alternative rock influences and became TLC's fourth number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The other three singles also received decent radio play: Silly Ho, I'm Good at Being Bad, and Edmonds-written ballad, Dear Lie.
At the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards, FanMail received eight nominations, and won three awards: Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, the last two for No Scrubs. At the Lady of Soul Awards, the group was honored with the Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award. TLC went on a worldwide tour called the FanMail Tour. The group had a PayPerView special of their tour, which at the time became PayPerView's highest-grossing televised special.
During and after the release of FanMail, Lopes made it known to the press on multiple occasions that she felt that she was unable to express herself in TLC fully. Her contributions to songs had been reduced to periodic eight-bar raps, and there were several songs in which she had no vocals. Studio session singers such as Debra Killings often sang background vocals for the group's songs, something Lopes also wanted to do on songs in which she did not rap. In late 1999, Entertainment Weekly published a letter written by Lopes that challenged her groupmates Watkins and Thomas to all record solo albums and see which album performed the best. The members eventually settled the feud, and The Challenge was never taken up. After the conclusion of the successful FanMail tour, they took some time off and pursued personal interests. Lopes was the first to begin recording her solo album, Supernova. The album was released in Europe, and the first and only single The Block Party reached the Top 20 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was released in the United States a few weeks before the scheduled album release. However, when the song did not perform well, the album's release was canceled for North America, and no further singles were promoted. In 2000, Spice Girls member Melanie C collaborated with Lopes on the single Never Be the Same Again, which became an international hit reaching number one in many countries. On the 1st of August 2001, the group performed Waterfalls at MTV's 20th anniversary party in New York City, which would be their final performance as a trio before the death of Lopes.
Tragedy and Transformation
After an unsuccessful debut solo album, Supernova, Lopes started working on her second solo album, known as N.I.N.A. New Identity Non Applicable, whilst regrouping with Watkins and Thomas to record raps for TLC's fourth album. On the 25th of April 2002, before both projects were completed, Lopes died in a car crash while filming a documentary in Honduras, which would later be released as The Last Days of Left Eye in 2007 on VH1. After taking a two-week hiatus following Lopes's death, Watkins, Thomas, and Austin decided that they would complete the remainder of their fourth album, to be called 3D, which also featured production from Rodney Jerkins, The Neptunes, Raphael Saadiq, Missy Elliott, and Timbaland. They also decided that TLC would go on an indefinite hiatus after the release and promotion of 3D, rather than replace Lopes and continue as a group. However, they chose to carry on as a duo. Lopes appears vocally on 3D, as she had already completed her vocals for three songs for the new album, two of which were included on the standard version. Two others feature unused vocals from previously unreleased material, and several of the songs eulogized Lopes. 3D was released on the 12th of November 2002.
With its release, 3D debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and was certified two times platinum by the RIAA for two million shipped in the United States. It failed to generate success overseas, except for Japan, where it reached number two and achieved platinum from the RIAJ for 200,000 copies sold. The album's lead single, Girl Talk, peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it their lowest-charting lead single ever. Its music video featured Watkins and Thomas alone in live-action segments and Lopes in animated segments. It was followed by Hands Up, which became their first single not to enter the Hot 100 chart, peaking at number seven on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, and Damaged, which reached number 53 on the Hot 100.
In June 2003, a year after the death of Lopes, at Zootopia, an annual concert hosted by New York radio station Z100 held at Giants Stadium, TLC appeared in what was announced to be their last performance. The group, introduced by Britney Spears and Carson Daly, showed a video montage dedicated to Lopes and went on to perform songs against video footage of Lopes performing the same songs and wearing the same outfits appearing onstage. Nevertheless, TLC made a comeback in February 2004 as a featured artist on a Japanese charity single titled VOICE OF LOVE POSSE with other Japanese artists. In 2003, LaFace released the first TLC's greatest hits album titled Now & Forever: The Hits with a new song, Come Get Some, featuring Lil Jon and Sean P of the YoungBloodZ. However, the compilation was not released in the United States until June 2005. The album debuted at number 53, with 20,000 copies sold.
On the 25th of June 2004, Watkins and Thomas announced that they were pitching a reality television show that was eventually picked up for development by UPN. Titled R U the Girl, the show debuted on the 27th of July 2005. Despite media speculation that the winner of the series was to become a new, permanent member of TLC, Watkins and Thomas have vowed never to replace Lopes with a new member. The winner of the show, 20-year-old Tiffany O'so Krispie Baker, worked with Watkins and Thomas to record a new song, I Bet, and they performed it together during a live concert finale in Atlanta. Roughly 4.1 million viewers tuned in for the season finale of R U The Girl on the 20th of September 2005. I Bet was released to radio and iTunes on the 4th of October 2005, but failed to make it onto the charts. The song later became a bonus track on Now & Forever: The Hits.
Legacy and Reunion
On the 20th of August 2007, a new greatest hits album was released in the UK called Crazy Sexy Hits: The Very Best of TLC. The album fared better than previous compilation Now & Forever: The Hits, peaking at number 57 on the UK Albums Chart. Watkins and Thomas made a special appearance at the BET Awards on the 24th of June 2008. They, along with the original members of En Vogue and SWV, performed in Alicia Keys's tribute to girl groups. TLC performed a 13-song set in Japan during the 2009 Springroove music festival on April 4. They also performed their set to the 10,000 audience members at the Justin Timberlake and Friends benefit concert, held on the 17th of October 2009, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in the Las Vegas Valley, U.S. TLC later performed on the season finale of American Idol, which aired on the 25th of May 2011. On the 21st of May 2023, they performed again on the show for the first time in 11 years, singing a medley of their hits, including No Scrubs, Creep, and Waterfalls, with contestant Lucy Love.
In 2012, Watkins and Thomas appeared in British pop group Stooshe's music video for their cover version of Waterfalls. It was later included in Totally T-Boz, a docu-series chronicling Watkins's move to California, health issues, and solo endeavors. Stooshe later performed Waterfalls at the 17th annual MOBO Awards on the 3rd of November 2012, where TLC was honored with Outstanding Contribution to Music. On the 23rd of June 2013, TLC received the Legend Award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards Japan, at which they also performed a medley of their hit singles. On the 19th of June 2013, to celebrate their 20th anniversary in the music industry, the group released a Japan-exclusive compilation album titled TLC 20: 20th Anniversary Hits, which includes remastered versions of their old songs; as a gift for their Japanese fans, they also recorded a new version of Waterfalls, enlisting Japanese singer Namie Amuro to sing Lopes's part. The decision to record with Amuro was raised as an issue by Lopes's family, who felt betrayed, as they were not informed about the vocal replacement. Watkins and Thomas subsequently stated that they had been unable to gain clearance to use Lopes's vocals for the new version of the song, but that Lopes would have approved of having Amuro on the track.
TLC was featured on Crooked Smile, the second single from American rapper J. Cole's 2013 album Born Sinner. It peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving TLC their first top-40 hit in over a decade. The collaboration won the Impact Track award at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards and was nominated for MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Social Message at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. They also made an appearance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, introducing Drake's performance. TLC signed a new recording contract with Epic Records and released an American version of the compilation album 20 on the 15th of October 2013. The album included one new recording, Meant to Be, written and produced by Ne-Yo. The song served as the soundtrack for CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, a TLC biographical telefilm, which premiered on VH1 on the 21st of October 2013. Directed by Charles Stone III, the film starred Keke Palmer as Thomas, Lil Mama as Lopes, and Drew Sidora as Watkins. The film uses the newly rearranged songs from TLC 20: 20th Anniversary Hits. The premiere broadcast garnered 4.5 million viewers, a five-year ratings high for VH1. In November 2013, TLC had three albums charting on the Billboard 200, including 20 at number 12, CrazySexyCool at number 108 and Now and Forever: The Hits at number 169.
On the 24th of November 2013, TLC performed a highly anticipated rendition of Waterfalls at the 2013 American Music Awards, with Lil Mama delivering Lopes's part, including the rap segment. Subsequently, TLC performed No Scrubs with Lil Mama on the Dancing with the Stars television show. In January 2014, TLC appeared at VH1's Super Bowl Concert Series performing at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. TLC announced the first Australian tour of their career in April 2014, consisting of shows in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth. The group performed a set of their hits, including visual and vocal representation of Lopes for the performance. On the 12th of December 2014, TLC released a new Christmas song titled Gift Wrapped Kiss.
New Chapter and Enduring Impact
On the 19th of January 2015, TLC announced their plan to release their fifth and final album with the launch of a Kickstarter campaign. They asked fans to help finance the project by donating a pledge of at least $5 to reach their goal of $150,000. In less than 48 hours, they surpassed their goal and become the fastest most-funded pop project in Kickstarter history. Among other artists who donated were New Kids on the Block, donating $10,000, Katy Perry, donating $5,000, Soulja Boy, Bette Midler, and Justin Timberlake. The Kickstarter campaign raised a total of $400,000. In an interview published following the end of the campaign, Watkins and Thomas clarified that they would never split up following the release and promotion of the album and that they would continue to perform together as TLC.
In May 2015, TLC embarked on a North American tour with New Kids on the Block and Nelly titled The Main Event Tour. It was their first tour in 15 years since the completion of the Fanmail Tour in 2000. Subsequently, TLC embarked on TLC 2016, 17 Tour and I Love the 90s: The Party Continues Tour. During the development of their album, they petitioned Lisa Lopes's brother Ron Lopes for assistance with making Left Eye's presence on the album a possibility since she had an abundance of unreleased material. However, they ultimately passed on using any of Lopes's archive recordings as the available source material conflicted with the sound that they were recording for the album. On the 28th of October 2016, TLC released two new songs off of the new album called Joyride and Haters in Japan. The former hit number one on the iTunes R&B chart in Japan. For the first time ever, on the 8th of December 2016, TLC performed Sleigh Ride with surprise guest Missy Elliott along with their latest song Sunny on Taraji's White Hot Holidays, a Fox holiday special hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson.
Their fifth studio album, TLC, was released on the 30th of June 2017. The album's first single Way Back featuring Snoop Dogg was released April 14 to all major digital music outlets and streaming services, but not to radio. The single was produced by D'Mile and released via TLC's newly formed independent label 852 Musiq, which is distributed through RED Distribution in the US. TLC made its UK Debut at London's KOKO on the 9th of May 2017. Ultimately, TLC sold 12,000 copies domestically in the first week.
In July 2019, TLC embarked on the Whole Lotta Hits Tour, co-headlining with Nelly and supported by Flo Rida. It was announced in October 2020, that television channel A&E Network had greenlit a brand new two-hour documentary special chronicling the group's meteoric rise to the top. Tentatively titled Biography: TLC, the documentary was set to be executive produced by Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams and Emmy Award-winning producer Geoff Martz. Directed by Matt Kay, the special was scheduled to premiere on A&E some time in 2021 but was later pushed back to 2022; then 2023. Titled TLC Forever, it premiered on Lifetime and A&E, on the 2nd of June 2023.
In June 2021, it was announced that TLC would embark on Celebration of CrazySexyCool, an 18-city concert tour of the United States to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their blockbuster sophomore album CrazySexyCool which was certified 12× platinum by the RIAA in October 2019. The tour, which included Bone Thugs-n-Harmony as an opening act and other surprise guests, began on the 3rd of September 2021, in Albertville, Alabama. In March 2022, it was announced TLC would be playing at the Glastonbury Festival in June. On the 13th of March 2023, it was announced that TLC would join Shaggy on the Hot Summer Nights tour with special guests En Vogue and Sean Kingston; the tour began on June 1.
Cultural Blueprint
Vibe believed that there would be no all-Black female R&B group having a chemistry, cultural and commercial impact as remotely comparable as TLC and dubbed CrazySexyCool as the blueprint for female ensembles to follow. The Philippine Daily Inquirer called TLC the most influential female group the world has ever seen. Beyoncé, who was the lead singer of Destiny's Child, said that TLC has influenced just about every female group that's out there now, and they definitely influenced Destiny's Child. Craig JC from Clutch wrote that TLC was big and influential during the 1990s and that their contemporaries such as SWV, Total, Blaque, 3LW, Brownstone, 702, Jade, Xscape and En Vogue did not have TLC's crossover appeal. David A. Keeps from Rolling Stone explained the impact of TLC: TLC's career has been filled with both hits and headlines. The group was one of the few R&B acts to build a strong identity out of its initial success, and they exerted more control over each successive record. Their music, particularly the 11-million-selling CrazySexyCool and the 6-million-selling FanMail, both of which won two Grammys each, set the standard for contemporary R&B. TLC helped to pioneer a deft blend of acoustic and computer sounds that paved the way for groups like Destiny's Child, as did their image as independent women. Whether addressing AIDS in Waterfalls or the struggle for female self-esteem in Unpretty, they showed themselves able to take serious issues to the top of the pop charts.
TLC is the best-selling American girl group since the Supremes, with 65 million records sold worldwide. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, TLC has 23 million certified album sales. TLC and the Chicks, a country band, are the only two female ensembles to receive the RIAA diamond award, which indicates sales of 10,000,000 copies. According to Billboard, TLC is the second most successful girl group on the Billboard charts, behind the Supremes. The group's accolades include five career Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, and five Soul Train Music Awards. Twenty years after their debut, TLC received the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the 17th MOBO Awards and the Legend Award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. After Lopes's death in 2002, instead of replacing her, the remaining members chose to continue as a duo. In 2017, they released their eponymous fifth album TLC. In 2022, the group was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. Having sold over 60 million records worldwide, TLC is one of the five best-selling American girl groups of all time. VH1 ranked TLC as the greatest female group, placing them at number 12 on the list of 100 Greatest Women in Music. Billboard magazine ranked TLC as one of the greatest musical trios, as well as the seventh-most-successful act of the 1990s.